Price - if you aren't with us you're paying too much

Software should be priced fairly and correctly. If you have recently purchased an imported product, you may wish to proceed with caution!

We cannot comprehend the high price tags many of our competitors when we offer The-Host Hospitality Management System - a performance product, tried and tested in the local market since 1991 - at a fraction of the cost.

The price of technology for hospitality is typically way too high.

When we first started writing  The-Host Hospitality Management System in 1991, we could not believe the outrageously high prices hoteliers were forced to pay for software back then. It was virtually impossible for medium and smaller privately owned hotels to buy any of the established software products. It was directly because of this price barrier that we got started writing our package in the first place. There was a need in the market and we were invited to do something about it. Ever since then it has been our way to bring reality and fairness to this industry.

Our pricing model is very simple.  We charge a fair once-off price to cover setup, labor and travel to get you installed, trained and running. Our low monthly support fee starts at just R375 for hotels and R150 for B&Bs - depending on size/capacity. That's it, the software is licensed but we do not charge an annual license fee and unlike opposition packages - there are no indirect or hidden costs. i.e. we don't force you to purchase expensive proprietary hardware and you do not need highly skilled staff, so your salary bill will not increase. Also there is no legal contract tying you up for years. You really get a great deal.

Alternate pricing model. We also offer the choice of a lower initial capital outlay option; this works by adding a small premium to the monthly support fee. We negotiate mutually comfortable terms with each new client. Using this model it is often possible to purchase a full installation from us without any impact on your cash-flow and because the outlay is so low, it can often be done without the need for any budget approvals. Just let us know and we can tailor a package to accommodate you.

Our monthly support fee is the lowest in the industry. When you compare monthly support fees, no credible opposition package is anywhere near as cost effective. In fact they charge many times more, into the several thousands per month. Our opposition have to charge a high price because their software fails frequently and they have resources tied up supporting their faulty products full time.  Our monthly support fee is low because our package is stable, it does not break down and you wont need to call for support every day.

If you already have a system and you are paying several thousand rands per month on support, then please do this easy calculation: Ten months x present monthly fee. The result will probably be more than the total outlay to change over to The-Host! And what is more, after you change, your running costs will also drop, you will not have to outlay for annual licenses and you will have no more disruptions. Not only do disruptions cause guest dissatisfaction that can lead to long term losses, but they cost you directly in telecommunications and labor. With The Host, not only do you get a reliable package, but you will save money every month, every year - forevermore.  Think what the saving would amount to over ten years. For hotel groups this can be many millions.

A price for you.

It is not possible to tell you exactly what our price for your own particular installation would be without knowing more about your hotel or resort.  Our price varies slightly from place to place, depending on number of staff, number of rooms, accommodation capacity, facilities, grading, style, geographic location, and the optional modules and interfaces and any customization that could be requested. For example, it stands to reason that the price would be different for the following 3 places: [1] 200 Room City Hotel with conferencing and multiple bars and restaurants with 25 staff working 24x7 [2] Caravan park that can accommodate 2500 people but only needs two operators who only work office hours and [3] Exclusive four star lodge of just 15 rooms that can only accommodate thirty people but it may have five operators requiring training. You will appreciate that our quote for each property could be somewhat different.

Price guide

Notwithstanding the above, here is a very general pricing guide for the base/standard software portion.  Please contact us with details about your hospitality business so we can provide an accurate, free, no-strings-attached quotation. Sample prices quoted are in South African Rands (ZAR).

How can the price be so low, you may well ask? Well firstly, we are not intent on ripping anyone off, so our starting point for pricing is not skewed. Secondly, we own all the technology so we don't have to pay some international off-shore vendor.· In our minds there is no need or justification for putting the price up ridiculously just because we can. Our price is not low - it's just realistic and fair.

* NEWSFLASH * : Most of our opposition will drop their prices to match ours when shown our quotation. Some ripoffs will even drop by more than half. So get a quote from us anyway if you are considering an alternative product; it might save you a bundle if nothing else!

There is no compromise. Some are suspicious about our low prices and think that our product must be inferior in some way. That is a syndrome, a confused one about correct pricing created by our opposition. They have had their proverbial in the butter for so long with their overpricing that the market just presumes without thinking that hotel software simply must cost a lot. But that is not correct. Just like some people used to think that medicine must taste horrible to work! It is wrong thinking and we intend to change that perception, we strive to bring reality to the industry regarding price for a quality product.

Some vendors of imported software would like to perpetuate the argument that local software is below grade. Sadly it is true that most local hospitality software has done nothing to disprove that idea. However, The-Host Hospitality Management System is powerful, reliable AND at an amazing low price.

The-Host offers a really good business deal for hoteliers and other accommodation providers. It gives excellent value for money, coupled with power and reliability.